Meta appoints Jerry Jimenez Bongco as country director for the Philippines

Meta has appointed Jerry Jimenez Bongco as its new country director for The Philippines. In a social media post, the tech giant stated that Jerry will drive initiatives and uphold Meta's legacy of supporting businesses and communities in the country.

Bongco (pictured) brings expertise in technology, telecom, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence, Meta highlighted. He previously held leadership roles as country general manager for Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Crayon, and as country director for Microsoft's consumer and devices business division, where he led strategic growth and channel development across multiple partners.

Separately, Meta's vice president for Southeast Asia and emerging markets, Benjamin Joe, congratulated Bongco on his appointment. In a LinkedIn post, he stated that Jerry is set to lead the company into a new era of growth.

"As country director, Jerry will spearhead our local team, craft and implement strategic business plans, and nurture key partnerships with businesses in the Philippines. His role involves identifying avenues for expansion, fostering collaboration, and making a positive impact within the community," added Joe.

Don't miss: Meta tests ads on Threads with select brands in US and Japan

Ending his tenure at AWS, Bongco looked back on his journey, highlighting his role in advancing digital resilience in The Philippines and empowering businesses through cloud innovation.

In a LinkedIn post, he said, "I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to help bring to life our mission in the Philippines: to build a digitally resilient nation that empowers innovation to uplift the lives of more Filipinos."

The Philippines' advertising market, projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 7.2% from 2025 to 2031, presents Meta with a strategic opportunity to expand its advertising capabilities.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, Meta's advertising revenues rose 20.9% YoY to US$46.78 billion, accounting for 96.7% of total revenues. The Asia-Pacific region saw a 23.2% YoY increase, outperforming the growth rates of the US and Canada (18%) and Europe (21.8%).

As of April 2024, Facebook - the flagship platform of Meta - remains the dominant social media network in the Philippines, with 87.7 million users, making it one of Facebook's largest markets in Southeast Asia and the world, according to Statista.

Related articles:
Meta to cut 5% of staff as it 'raises the bar on performance management'
Will Meta's scrap of fact-checking have any real impact on ad dollars?
MY unlikely to be affected by Meta's end to fact-checking, says Fahmi